


Promises, Promises

by fallenangel218



Category: The A-Team (TV)
Genre: Action, Angst, Episode Tag, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-17
Updated: 2014-11-25
Packaged: 2018-02-21 13:51:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2470532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenangel218/pseuds/fallenangel218
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a mission takes a bad turn, Face is forced to tell Hannibal about an injury he suffered during the battle with Kyle's men. With lives hanging in the balance, Hannibal makes a decision that may drive a wedge in his friendship with Face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Episode Tag to "Deadly Maneuvers"

The run back to base was 2.5 miles. Face had good pace throughout most of the run, but he started to lag behind on the last half-mile. He hadn't felt it before, but his side was beginning to ache, where the mercenary had hit him with the piece of tree branch. He told everyone he was fine. At least, he thought he was fine. 

_Maybe I should have Maggie take a look._

Face struggled, but he finally made it back to base. Everyone else had already made it back. He could hear B.A. yelling at Murdock as he approached the house, and slowed to a walk. He stopped in the doorway as he came inside, and braced himself in the door frame as a wave of pain shot through his ribcage. No one seemed to notice this. 

_Why would they notice, anyway?_

When the pain had subsided, he made his way into the kitchen. 

"About time you got back, Facey," Murdock teased. 

"I guess I'm more out of shape than I thought," Face lied. "Where's Hannibal?" 

"In the shower," Murdock replied. "You need him?" 

"No." 

"Okie dokie, Face Guy. B.A. and I are going to dispose of all this milk, and go get some non-tainted stuff. You want to come?" 

"No thanks, Murdock." 

"Hurry up, fool!" B.A. shouted angrily from the porch. 

"Gotta go." 

Murdock hurried out to the porch to join B.A. Face wandered into the living room, where he found Maggie and Tawnia sitting on the couch, having tea. Maggie looked up as Face entered the room, and her smile faded to a concerned stare as he lowered himself into the barkalounger. 

"Are you all right, Face?" she asked, setting down her tea and moving to his side. 

"No, I'm not. It's my side, where that guy used me for batting practice." 

"May I look?" 

Face nodded. He sat up far enough to remove his track jacket. He sat back as Maggie lifted his T-shirt up. She gasped at the livid bruise on his ribs. She gently pressed her hand on his rib cage. A shout of pain escaped Face's lips. 

"You may have a cracked rib or two. Why didn't you say anything before?" 

"It didn't start--ow--hurting until the run back from the dairy farm." 

"We're going to have to wrap this, Face. You need to take it easy for about a week." 

"Right, take it easy, with Hannibal?" 

"I'll talk to him," Maggie offered. 

"No, I'll tell him." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, I'm sure." 

"All right. Let me get my bag, and we'll bandage you up." 

"Thanks." 

Maggie disappeared into one of the bedrooms, and came back a minute later with her medical bag. She made short work of patching him up, and he thanked her as she put away her bag. Seconds later, Hannibal emerged from one of the bedrooms. 

"There you are, Face! When did you finally make it back?" 

"About ten minutes ago." 

"Everything okay?" 

_No, not really._

"Fine," he lied. "I guess I'm in worse shape than I thought." 

Maggie glared at Face when Hannibal glanced down briefly to pluck a cigar from the box on the side table. Face momentarily lowered his eyes, and brought them up quickly as Hannibal lit his cigar. 

"Rest up, kid. We move out in about an hour." 

"Right, Hannibal." 

Hannibal walked off into the kitchen as B.A. and Murdock returned from their milk run. 

Maggie crossed her arms and glared at Face. 

"You have to tell him." 

"I will. Just, not right now." 

"Promise me you'll tell him. You can't hide that kind of injury." 

"I promise, Maggie." 

"Good. Get some rest." 

She smiled and left Face alone in the living room. 

Face leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He remembered the fight. He'd had the upper hand for most of it, until he got knocked down. He never saw the hit coming until the thick tree branch slammed into his gut, and he hit the ground - hard. Murdock had come up and punched the guy out moments later, as Face rolled around on the ground, groaning. 

Maybe he _was_ getting soft. Maybe he _was_ out of shape. The bandage on his ribs was proof of that. He needed to step up his game. He needed to prove to Hannibal that he wasn't as soft as the Colonel assumed he was. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Face!" 

His eyes snapped open, and he sat up quickly in the chair. He realized what a bad idea it was when pain from his bandaged ribs shot through his body. He hissed through the pain, and schooled his features as Hannibal came into the living room. 

"Up an at 'em, Lieutenant. Time to leave." 

Face nodded and stood. He headed for the bedrooms. 

"Murdock already grabbed your things for you," Hannibal said as he retrieved his safari jacket from the coat closet. "Come on, let's move. B.A. heard the Sheriff on his CB while they were in town. Decker knows where we are." 

"Wonderful," Face said sarcastically. "Let's get out of here." 

Hannibal handed Face his favorite leather jacket. Face put it on and they left the house together. Hannibal climbed into the front seat, and watched Face in the side mirror as he climbed into the back of the van. He had a pained look on his face as he pulled himself up into the seat. 

"Are you feeling all right, Lieutenant?" 

"Huh? Oh yeah, never better, Hannibal." 

"Good. Let's get out of here, B.A." 

Face closed his eyes as B.A. started the van, and drifted back to sleep as Hannibal turned around to check on him. Something was up with his Lieutenant, and he was determined to find out what it was. 

**TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

_one week later..._

Hannibal watched his team from his position up in the church steeple. All Face had to do was get Billings out of the real estate office, and Hannibal and Murdock would do the rest. B.A. was waiting around the corner with the van, to complete the snatch and grab. One wrong move, and everything would be blown to hell.

Through the binoculars, Hannibal watched the door to the real estate office open. He looked at his watch. 

_Fifteen minutes. Face is losing it._

Face came out first, and Billing was right behind him - with his left hand grasping the back of Face's shirt. His right hand held a gun to Face's back. 

"I know the rest of you are out there!" He shouted. "Show yourselves, or your friend is gonna die!" 

Hannibal dropped the binoculars and took off down the tower. He pulled on his favorite black gloves on the way down, and pulled his 9 mm from the inside pocket of his coat. He had to end this before Billings shot Face. He exited the church through the side door, and moved to the end of the alleyway, pressing his back against the red brick church.

"Billings! You wanted us here, you got us! Let him go and we'll talk!" 

"Come out, Smith! I want to see your face before I kill you!" 

Hannibal peeked around the corner. Billings' gun was pressed hard into Face's back. 

It was blown to hell.

Suddenly, Face threw an elbow back into Billings' stomach. It threw his captor off balance enough for Face to spin around and punch him, hard. Billings went down, and Face made to grab his gun, which had skidded across the pavement. As he bent to grab the gun, the pain from his ribs decided to make itself known, and he doubled over, and dropped to his knees. He heard footsteps coming his way, and he thought for sure it was Billings, and he was going to die. 

"What the hell happened?" 

It was worse than Billings. It was Hannibal.

"He got the drop on me, Hannibal. I'm so--"

"Save it," Hannibal interrupted as he hauled Face to his feet. The van screeched to a halt right next to them. Hannibal threw open the side door. "Get in the van, Face."

Face slowly climbed in and fell back onto his usual seat. Hannibal, to his shock, climbed in with him and shut the door.

"Drive, B.A." 

B.A. slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and they sped out of town. tr

When they were about fifteen minutes out of Hinkleyville, Hannibal unbuckled his seat belt and moved in front of Face. 

"I know you're hurt, so don't lie to me, Face. What in the hell happened back there?" 

"I was in, Hannibal. I almost had him after five minutes... the next thing I knew, I had a gun in my back."

"What con did you play?" 

"I uh - I did the Insurance Agent con - the one we did on that developer." 

"Damn it, Face! That con didn't work with him... what the hell made you think it would work on Billings?" 

"It _was_ working on him, Hannibal! It just didn't work on his partner. He saw through me like a pane of glass." 

"This isn't like you, Face. If this were three months ago, you'd have had him outside, and we'd have wrapped up this job without a problem. You haven't been yourself since Kyle and his men got the drop on us. You wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Not particularly."

"Tough, Lieutenant." 

"Hannibal--" 

"Start with why you doubled over in the street picking up that gun." 

Face sighed, annoyed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew he wasn't going to be able to keep this from Hannibal. He unbuckled his seat belt, and slid off his sport coat. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt and let Hannibal open it up. 

"How long?" 

"A week. One of Kyle's goons used me for batting practice. Murdock was there. I felt fine then, but after we ran back to base from the dairy farm, I had Maggie take a look."

"And?"

"Two cracked ribs."

"Face, you have to tell me stuff like this. If I had known you were injured, I would have brought Murdock along on this one. Why did you hide this from me?"

"You really want to know?" Face nearly shouted as he buttoned his shirt. "You ride me harder than you do B.A. and Murdock. You always make me do extra running, even when I don't come in last on your little obstacle courses. You get me into these insane plans of yours, and I almost always nearly get killed trying to pull the cons to get you what you need. Hannibal, I'm not sure how much more I can take living under your thumb!" 

Hannibal sat silently, arms crossed. He stared down his Lieutenant, not sure what to say. He wondered how long Face had felt this way, and he wasn't sure what to say or do that would bring Face down from this level of anger.

"B.A.," he said finally. "How far to Bad Rock?" 

"About an hour, Hannibal. Why, you wanna see that lady doctor friend of yours again?" 

"Face needs a doctor. Billings roughed him up." 

"I'll get us there fast, Hannibal."

"Seriously, Hannibal? This is your solution? Bringing me to Maggie?"

"We have a serious problem here, Face." 

"And ditching me in Bad Rock is your solution?" 

"You need to rest. Trying to take down a scuzz like Billings with two cracked ribs is going to get you killed. We're taking you to Dr. Sullivan, and we'll pick you up after the mission is done."

"And exactly how are you and B.A. going to pull this off without me?" 

"We'll take care of it. This garbage going on with Billings is going to end, no matter how long it takes for me to end it. I'm not going to lose a man along the way." 

Hannibal climbed up into the front with B.A.

"We'll talk about your outburst _after_ B.A. and I deal with Billings. Is that clear, Lieutenant?"

"Crystal." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The van pulled up in front of Maggie Sullivan's house exactly an hour later, as B.A. had predicted. Hannibal got out first, and opened the side door. He extended a hand to help Face, but the Lieutenant ignored him and got out, heading for the front door. Face was knocking as Hannibal came up behind him. Moments later, Maggie opened the door.

"Hannibal, Face! You two are the last people I expected to see! What brings you to Bad Rock?" 

"Face's ribs."

"You told him."

Face nodded.

"Come in."

Face stepped in first, Hannibal right behind him. Maggie closed the door and turned to them.

"How are your ribs?" She asked Face.

"They're still broken." 

"He almost got himself killed on our last job. Maggie, I need you to make sure he rests while we finish up the job we started about an hour from here. We'll come back as soon as the job is done." 

"Face, you're more than welcome to stay as long as you like."

"Thanks, Maggie."

Hannibal checked his watch.

"I have to go." He kissed Maggie on the cheek, then turned to Face. "I'm sorry, kid, but I had to do this. For your own good." 

Face nodded.

Hannibal turned and left the house. 

**TBC...**


	3. Chapter 3

Face watched the van from the window as it sped down the road the way they'd come. When the van was gone, he let the curtain fall and walked over to the table. He pulled out a chair and gingerly sat down. Maggie sat down next to him. 

"Are you all right?" 

Face looked at his hands, and back up at Maggie. 

"No, I'm not." 

"Would you like to lie down for a while?" 

"No. I just need to sit here for a minute." 

"All right. I'll be in my office. Let me know if you need anything." 

"Thanks." 

As soon as Maggie was gone, he scrubbed a hand over his unshaven face. Suddenly, he felt a wave of pain course through his chest. He tried to stand, and immediately felt nauseous. He pushed himself to his feet, and made his way to the bathroom. When he finally made it there, he dropped to his knees and wretched painfully. 

By the time he was done, his chest was on fire. He dropped the lid closed and flushed. and fell backward onto the rug. Being on his knees was too much. He dropped his head as tears threatened to fall. What the hell had he done to deserve this? 

He could hear footsteps approaching the bathroom door. Face didn't bother to bring his head up. He felt someone kneel next to him. 

"Face." 

Face looked up at Maggie. 

"I'm sorry. I--" 

"It's all right." 

Face could no longer hide his emotions. Tears streamed down his face. Maggie put an arm around him and let him lean into her shoulder as he cried. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Hannibal didn't talk until they were twenty minutes out of Bad Rock. 

"We need Murdock." 

"How we gonna bust out that crazy fool? You know Face is the only one who can bust into that hospital without bein' recognized." 

"Face is out of commission, Sergeant." 

"Don't you think you're ridin' Face too much, Hannibal? You know how he is about hidin' stuff." 

"Face needs me to ride him hard. Otherwise, Decker would have thrown him in the stockade a long time ago." 

"You don't give Faceman enough credit, Hannibal." 

"Don't worry about Face right now, B.A. Just head over to the V.A. so we can get Murdock out. I'll call him on the way to see if he can get a weekend pass out of Dr. Richter." 

B.A. kept quiet and pushed on the gas pedal. He was concerned about Face, but he knew he had to focus on picking up Murdock, and stopping Billings for good. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

It took ten minutes to get Face cleaned up and into the living room. She settled him in on the couch, and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. She covered him with a quilt and left him to rest. 

Maggie sat down at the kitchen table to start a medical chart on Face. As she wrote, she remembered the first time they'd met, when B.A. had been shot. B.A. was quite upset, and had verbally assaulted the young Lieutenant. From what she'd heard, Face made a mistake that had caused B.A. to get shot. She remembered the young man's face as he announced he'd check things outside and left her examination room. He'd had such a heart wrenching look of guilt on his face, that it was hard for her not to feel bad for him. 

She finished writing in the new chart, and paused as she went to put a name on the folder. It had occurred to her that she didn't know Face's real name. She thought for a moment, and wrote down a name on the top of the file she knew she'd remember. She smiled and closed the file. Face was going to need a lot of care, physically and emotionally, and right now, she was the only one who could be there for him. 

**TBC...**


	4. Chapter 4

It was nearly dark when Face blinked himself awake. He found himself on the couch, covered with an old quilt. He looked around the room, and quickly remembered where he was, and how he'd gotten there. 

_Damn it._

Face slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, and threw the quilt off of him. He swung his legs around, and used the arm of the couch to push himself up. Slowly, he made his way into the next room. Maggie was seated at the table, cup of coffee in front of her. 

"You're awake." 

Face nodded, and failed to hide the wince as he balanced himself in the doorframe. Maggie got up and helped him to the table. She helped him sit down gingerly. 

"You shouldn't be on your feet, you know." 

"Has Hannibal called?" 

"No, he hasn't." 

"Great." 

Face looked down at his hands, folded in front of him on the table. 

"He'll come around." 

"The Colonel? He won't come around. He never does." 

Maggie regarded her friend with sadness. She knew Hannibal was militant, but she never expected he'd drain someone emotionally as Face had been. 

"I've got a pot of coffee on. Would you like some?" 

Face looked up at her and smiled. 

"Sure." 

Maggie got up and went into the kitchen, and Face noticed that she'd been working on a file. He knew it was wrong to look, but he slid the folder over and looked at it. A smile spread across his face as he read his own medical chart. He looked up as Maggie came back into the dining room and set down a cup of coffee in front of him. 

"Jim Rockford, huh?" 

"He reminded me of you." 

Face smiled and closed the folder. 

"I'd be honored to be Jim Rockford." 

Maggie smiled and took the folder. 

"You never did tell me your real name, and I figured you wouldn't want it down on paper, in case the Army came snooping around, so I made up a name." 

"It's perfect, Maggie. Thank you." 

Face took a sip of the coffee. He let the warm beverage relax his nerves. He looked up at Maggie. 

"Templeton Peck." 

"What?" Maggie said, thrown off. 

"My name... it's Templeton Peck." 

"It suits you." 

"Thanks, I think." 

"How about dinner? You have to be famished." 

"That sounds great, Maggie." 

Face smiled genuinely as Maggie got up to start dinner. For the first time since before he joined the Army, he felt as if someone truly cared about him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Hannibal, B.A. and Murdock were holed up in the van, just outside of Hinkleyville. B.A. and Murdock were sure Hannibal had a plan after they'd picked up Murdock and driven all the way back down here, but the Colonel just sat in the passenger seat, puffing on his cigar. 

B.A. spoke up first. 

"Are we gonna do somethin' Hannibal, or just sit here all night?" 

"I'm thinking of a plan." 

"We been drivin' for four hours, Hannibal! Now we sittin' here in the dark, and you're tellin' me you don't have a plan?" 

"Stow it, Sergeant. Whatever we do has to be executed perfectly. He thinks he's scared us off. Billings has been intimidating this town long enough. I want him stopped, no matter what it takes." 

"Hannibal, you don't mean--" 

Hannibal looked at B.A. with cold, calculating eyes. B.A. hadn't seen that look since Vietnam, and it scared the hell out of him. 

"I'm not gonna let you kill him, Hannibal," B.A. said, lowering his voice to its normal octave. "It ain't right." 

"Whatever happens, happens, Sergeant." 

Murdock leaned forward. 

"If we're gonna cause a ruckus, let's get started, shall we?" 

B.A. started the van and they drove closer to town. He parked it just before the town limits, and hid it in the woods. They moved on foot through the woods into town, each with an automatic weapons. 

The plan, if you could call it that, was to ambush Billings at home. What they would do when they got there was not planned. B.A. could feel a knot in his stomach. He hated going into something without a plan. Hannibal always had a plan when they took a mission. Not having one right now was not sitting well with him. He had no problem teaching Billings a lesson, but he didn't deserve to die. 

They came to the edge of the woods behind Billings' large house. There was a picture window, and they could see Billings, about to sit down to dinner with his wife and teenage daughter. He looked over at Hannibal. The cold look in his eyes hadn't faded. 

He reached out and put a hand on Hannibal's arm. 

"Let's back off, man." 

"This has to end. I'm ending it." 

"Not with innocent people in there. Let's get out of here." 

"I'm not going anywhere. You can leave if you want." 

"I'm not leavin' you here to commit murder! Come on!" 

"This mission will proceed, with or without you, Sergeant." 

B.A. took his hand from Hannibal's arm. 

"You're goin' without me, then." 

"And me," Murdock piped up. 

Hannibal glared at them, and moved off toward the house. B.A. and Murdock remained at the edge of the woods, watching. 

"Do you really think he'll hurt Mrs. Billings? And her daughter?" Murdock asked. 

"I hope not." 

A crash brought their attention back to the house. They could see Hannibal in the window, brandishing his automatic weapon. Billings' wife and daughter hugged each other, obviously scared. Billings himself was slammed up against the wall. B.A. could tell the man was shaking. 

"We have to stop him, B.A. He's not Hannibal anymore. He's going to kill everyone in that house." 

B.A. nodded his agreement. As they both moved forward, more people flooded the house - in police uniforms. With ten guns pointed at him, Hannibal surrendered his weapon, and allowed himself to be arrested. 

"Oh no," B.A said. 

Murdock pointed to the corner of the picture window. There was a sticker from a security company affixed to it. 

"Damn, fool triggered the alarm." 

"What do we do now, B.A.?" 

"We gotta bust him out of jail, and get the hell out of Hinkleyville forever. This job ain't worth it anymore." 

Murdock and B.A. slipped back into the woods, and retreated toward the van. They needed to make a plan. 

**TBC...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I wanted to take some time to share what inspired me to write this fic. I'm a fan of angst, and I feel a fair amount of it in my own life as well. I came across an A-Team fan vid on YouTube, to the song "I Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot. It's a beautiful, sad video. Though it is a Christian rock song, I feel that it fits with the video perfectly. The song inspired me to write something that shows one or two members of the Team letting the emotional walls built around them, crumble. This story represents that. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

"That was the most delicious dinner I've had in a long time," Face said as he finished the last bite of his chicken. 

"Thank you very much. It's been a long time since I've cooked for anyone." 

Face moved to stand up. 

"Let me help you with the dishes." 

"You have to rest. I'll take care of them." 

"I insist--ow--" 

"It's all right. Just relax." 

Face fell back into his chair. 

"All right, you win." 

As Maggie cleared the dishes, the telephone rang. She stopped and went straight for it. 

"Dr. Sullivan's office." 

_"Hi Maggie, it's H.M. Murdock. Is Faceman there?"_

"Hi Murdock, sure, he's right here." 

Face was already on his feet and halfway across the room. He closed the space between them and took the phone. 

"What's wrong, Murdock?" 

_"Hannibal got picked up by the local police."_

"He _what?_ " 

_"He isn't acting like himself. He's more like the scary Hannibal I remember from 'Nam."_

"Murdock, what did he do?" Face asked, knowing exactly what Murdock was talking about. 

_"He wanted to stop Billings - no matter what."_

"He didn't--" 

_"No. B.A. and I tried to talk him out of going into Billings' house, but he ignored us and went in. He tripped the alarm, and the cops took him down before anyone got hurt."_

"Damn it," Face said. "You guys have to get him out of there before they run his prints. The last thing we need is Decker running around looking for the rest of us after he drags Hannibal off to jail." 

_"I could go in incognito. I really wish you were here, Faceman."_

"Me too, buddy. Hey, do you remember that bit you did when we were trapped inside that jail in Arizona?" 

Murdock grinned. 

_"This is going to be fun."_

"Call me when you get him out." 

_"Will do, Muchacho. Get well soon."_

Murdock hung up, and Face set down the receiver. 

"What's happened?" 

"Hannibal went off the rails and got himself arrested. Murdock is going to try and get him out." 

"Oh my God... what happened?" 

"He let the job get way out of hand. Hannibal tends to get a bit obsessed with these missions." 

"Does this happen every time his plan doesn't work?" 

"The last time I saw him like this was in Vietnam. I'd hoped he would never reach that state of mind again." 

"Should we go and help?" 

"I thought I was supposed to stay off my feet," Face said sarcastically. 

"I'll drive." She grabbed her keys from the bowl next to the phone. "Let's go." 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

The jail door slammed shut with a bang. 

Hannibal was on the floor, looking up at the Sheriff of Hinkleyville. 

"Why'd you do it?" 

Hannibal looked at him, and remained silent. 

"I asked you a question! Why the hell did you break into Mr. Billings' house!" 

"Billings is the enemy... the enemy must be wiped out... no matter what it takes." 

The Sheriff looked into his prisoner's eyes. They were cold and emotionless. He began to question how sane this man really was. His men had reported that he'd had Mr. Billings in a choke hold when they arrived. If they'd arrived any later, Gerald Billings would be dead. 

"And exactly why is Gerald Billings your enemy?" 

"The enemy must be stopped at all costs!" Hannibal shouted, jumping to his feet. He didn't get very far... the cuffs on his ankles made him stumble and fall. 

"Right now, you're the enemy, and you're right where you belong." 

The Sheriff turned and walked out of the tiny cell block in the basement of his building, listening to his prisoner scream at the top of his lungs as he left. 

When he got upstairs, there was a woman sitting in the chair in front of his desk. She wore a long, flowered dress and a bonnet, and she was pregnant. 

"May I help you, ma'am?" 

"Yes, I'm here to bail my husband out of jail." 

"And who might that be?" 

"His name is John Smith. He went off in a rage again, and I'm afraid he's gotten into trouble this time." She leaned forward. "You see, I'm going to have a baby... I can't possibly tell our child that his father is in prison, can I?" 

"The only prisoner I have downstairs is a man who tried to kill Gerald Billings in his house tonight. He isn't going anywhere until his arraignment. I'm sorry ma'am." 

"When will he be arraigned?" 

"First thing tomorrow morning, at the courthouse down the street. After that, we fingerprint him and book him proper, and get him off to county jail." 

"Can I see him? Just for a minute?" 

The Sheriff visibly gulped, though he was trying to hide his nervousness. 

"I'll take you downstairs, but don't get too close to the bars, okay? He's not in a good state of mind right now." 

"Oh, thank you so very much. You're so kind." 

The Sheriff took the woman down the stairs and to the cell where his new prisoner was being held. The prisoner had stopped screaming at this point, to his relief. He pointed to a button on the wall. 

"Press that button when you're done, and I'll come get you, okay?" 

"All right, thank you Sheriff." 

When the Sheriff was all the way upstairs, Murdock ripped off the bonnet and approached the cell. Hannibal was sitting on the floor in silence, with his knees pulled up to his chest. 

"Hannibal, it's me. Murdock." 

Hannibal looked up at him. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"Trying to get you out of here. They're not gonna fingerprint you until after your arraignment tomorrow morning, so that buys us some time before Decker figures out we're here." 

"Take care of Billings, then come back for me." 

"What? No, Colonel. You're getting out now. Forget about Billings. We're not going to win that battle. It's over." 

"He has to die!" Hannibal shouted. "He's the enemy!" 

"Colonel, Billings has too many friends in this town. We chose a battle we're not gonna win. Come on, let me bust you out of here. Please." 

"Captain, I order you to leave me here, and I order you to take care of Billings." 

Murdock looked at his friend in shock. He knew very well that he couldn't disobey one of the Colonel's orders. 

"Fine. I'll go. See if I come back here at all." 

Murdock put the bonnet back on and pushed the button. The Sheriff came down moments later to collect the prisoner's wife, and escorted her out of the building. 

Hannibal was left alone. 

**TBC...**


	6. Chapter 6

Maggie and Face met up with the Team late that night. B.A. paid cash for a room in a cheap motel 15 miles out of town. 

Maggie helped Face to the one and only bed, and got him comfortable enough to deal with the pain in his ribs. B.A. busied himself cleaning his .45, while Murdock paced, mumbling incoherantly. 

"How do we get Hannibal out of prison?" Maggie asked. 

"We have to go in at night," Face said as he sank into the pillows, relieved to finally be in a comfortable position. Murdock stopped pacing and turned to Face. 

"He doesn't want us to bust him out until we deal with Billings," Murdock said. 

"He doesn't have a choice, Murdock. We have to bust him out tonight. If they run his prints, Decker will come down on us, and we'll end up running for a week before we lose him again. I don't know about you, but I'm not to keen on the idea of living in B.A.'s van until Decker backs off." 

"What's wrong with my van?" B.A. said defensively. 

"Nothing... it's just not good for sleeping. That's all, B.A." 

B.A. grunted and went back to cleaning his gun. 

"How are we going to get in and out of the Sheriff's office without being seen? There are cops there all the time!" Murdock said, frustrated. "I wish he'd have let me bust him out earlier." 

"It's okay, Murdock. you tried your best." 

"Thanks, Faceguy. you would have been proud of the con I pulled on that Sheriff!" Murdock grinned. 

"I have an idea," Maggie said. "If Hannibal isn't going to willingly break out of jail, we'll have to force him." 

"You can't force Hannibal to do anything," B.A. said. 

"I can with a sedative." 

Face's eyes widened as Maggie opened her bag and held up a syringe. 

"If you guys can get me into the jail, I'll sedate him and we can carry him out." 

"That's actually a great idea," Face said. "We just need to find a way in and out without being seen." 

"I know!" Murdock said quickly. "I remember seeing a set of doors leading to the basement when I went there earlier. We can go in through there. If I'm right, it'll take us right up into the cell block." 

Face grinned. 

"This is going to be fun." 

Maggie turned to him. 

"Are you sure you're up to going?" 

"I didn't come all this way to sit around a motel room. I'm going." 

Maggie nodded. 

"At least take your pain meds." 

Face smiled and took the offered water bottle and pills, and took the medicine. B.A., who had been readying the van, came back inside. 

"You ready?" 

"Yeah, let's go." 

Maggie helped Face to his feet, and they left the room, hoping they would return with Hannibal. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

Hannibal sat quietly on his cot, his back to the concrete wall in the cell. He'd started to calm down after Murdock left. As his anger subsided, he started to have rational thoughts again. 

_How could I have been so stupid? I know better than to go half-cocked into a place like that._

He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He'd screwed up big time. He would be shocked if his Team actually came back for him. He expected that Decker would be there soon to drag him off to the stockade. 

He looked down at his hands. His right hand was covered in a bloody towel. He punched the wall after Murdock left him there. The guards didn't care much about bandages. A towel would do just fine. 

A distant noise put Hannibal on alert. He stood up and moved to the other side of the cell, where the shadows could hide him. He watched as a door opened across the room, and four figures came through. The last, and smallest one, was carrying something. It wasn't until the figures came into the light, that he stepped out of the shadows. 

"You came back," Hannibal said flatly. 

"You lucky we didn't leave you here, Hannibal. Pullin' a stunt like that was a fool thing to do." 

"I know, B.A. I owe you and Murdock an apology." 

"Apologize later," Face said as he opened up his lock pick set, and selected a tool. He had the cell door open in seconds. "Are you going to come quietly, or does Maggie have to sedate you?" 

Hannibal glanced at Maggie, who was glaring at him angrily. 

"Let's get out of here." 

The group went out the way they came. They climbed up the basement steps, one by one. Face was the last to come out. As he stepped out of the basement, a wave of pain shot through his ribs, causing him to nearly double over. B.A. caught him quickly, before he fell backward down the steps. 

"You shouldn't have come, Face," Hannibal said at half a whisper. 

Face looked up at Hannibal as he practically hung from B.A.'s arm. 

"If I hadn't, you would still be sitting in that jail cell." 

Face let B.A. help him to the van, and he settled into his seat and closed his eyes, to will the pain away. Shortly after, he heard the van door slide closed, and felt the rumble of the van's engine. He opened his eyes. Hannibal was back in his usual seat up front, and Murdock was sitting across from him. Maggie sat in the empty seat next to Face. 

"How are you?" 

"It hurts." 

"Obviously. I mean, how is the pain, from 1 to 10?" 

"About a six." 

"Take another dose of pain meds before you go to sleep. It should help." 

Face nodded and relaxed in his seat. It was going to be a long drive. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

They stopped at the motel to pick up Maggie's car, and they followed her back to Bad Rock. Face and Hannibal both needed medical attention, so the group agreed to spend the night.

Maggie went straight to her exam room when she got into the house, and opened the door. Face and Murdock came in behind her, followed by B.A. Hannibal lagged behind, but finally came into the house and shut the door. Maggie immediately took him by the arm. 

"I need to look at your hand," she said, indicating the bloody towel it was currently wrapped in.  
Hannibal nodded and followed her into the exam room. She closed the door behind him, and nodded for him to sit on the exam table. He sat and let his hand rest on his leg. Maggie carefully unwrapped his hand, and threw the bloody towel in the garbage.

"You did a lot of damage." 

Hannibal rolled his eyes.

"Don’t try to be stoic with me. I know you better thank you think, John."

Hannibal couldn't formulate a response. Maggie had a way of tying his tongue that he still couldn't wrap his head around. He hadn't met another woman that could do what she did to him. 

"How is Face?" he asked softly as Maggie cleaned the dried blood from his knuckles.

"He's still in a lot of pain. He needs to rest." 

"He was supposed to stay here. He shouldn't have been out there picking locks in jailhouses." 

"Face has been a better friend to you in the past 24 hours than you have to him. He risked serious injury to come all the way out there to break you out of jail. You need to stop being his commanding officer, and start being his friend." 

Maggie finished wrapping his hand and left the room. 

Hannibal sat on the exam bench, looking down at his hand. He went over the past week in his head. Everyone had been on edge after Kyle's attempt on their lives. He hadn't made it any easier on anyone by making them run all the way back to base. Even B.A. complained, which was rare. Face had taken it a step further, jumping into the van as Tawnia pulled away. B.A. had pulled him back out, and Hannibal had sent a glare in his direction. 

_How could I be so blind, to not see what's going on with my own men?_

He could hear everyone talking in the next room. They all probably thought he was Captain Blood about now. He was seeking redemption at this point - and forgiveness. 

Hannibal got up and opened the door. Everyone looked up as he stepped into the room. B.A. and Murdock were sitting at the table with Maggie. A teapot sat on a potholder in the middle, and everyone had a cup. 

Hannibal lowered his eyes, and brought them back up. B.A. was scowling at him, and with good reason. 

"Guys... I uh... I haven't exactly been-- I guess what I'm trying to say is--" 

"You was a fool," B.A. supplied for him. 

"You're right, B.A. This thing with Kyle put me on edge... got me paranoid. It all hit the fan when the mission with Billings went south. I went a little commando on you guys. I'm sorry for putting both of you in that position last night. My head wasn't in the right place." 

Murdock set down his cup.

"We all lose it sometimes, Colonel. It doesn't mean we like you any less."

"Thanks, Murdock." 

Murdock smiled that innocent smile that always forced a smile out of everyone around him. Hannibal smiled, and then looked around the room. 

"Where's Face?" 

"On the couch, asleep. He needs rest."

"Would it be all right if I just sat with him?" 

Maggie smiled and nodded. 

Hannibal went quietly into the living room. Face was asleep on the couch, covered by an old quilt. Hannibal sat down in the recliner and closed his eyes.

**TBC...**


	7. Chapter 7

Face awoke to morning sunlight spilling into the room. He smiled as it warmed his cheeks. He slowly sat up, keeping the blanket over his legs. Hannibal was in the barkalounger, reading the newspaper. 

_Great._

"Good Morning," Hannibal said from behind the Metro section. 

Face grunted. 

"How are you feeling?" 

"It still hurts." 

"I assumed that, Face. Is it any better?" 

Face sighed, annoyed. 

"A little." 

Hannibal set the paper in his lap and looked at his friend. Face could tell in his friend's eyes that Hannibal hadn't slept much. 

"We need to talk for a minute." 

"I'm not really up for one of your speeches, Hannibal." 

"I'm not gonna preach to you. I just-- I wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting. The thing with Kyle put me on edge a little--" 

"A little?" 

"All right, it made me paranoid. Being arrested was a wake up call. While I was sitting there alone, I thought about the past two weeks. I kind of went commando on you guys. I think I even scared B.A. a little." 

"You scared the hell out of all of us with this last job, Hannibal, and you're damn lucky we got you out before they ran your prints and sent them off to Washington!" 

"You're absolutely right, Face." 

"This isn't going to go away with one talk. I hope you realize that." 

"I didn't expect it to be puppies and sunshine, Lieutenant," Hannibal said, trying to keep his cool. 

"You have to listen to us when we're trying to tell you something, Hannibal. You always cut us off when we're trying to tell you something important, and when you do find out, it's usually too late." 

Face pushed himself to a sitting position. He didn't want to finish this lying down. 

"I tried to tell you at the dairy farm that I was hurting. Even B.A. was complaining about running. B.A. never complains! That should have been a red flag! When I showed Maggie my side when I finally made it back to base, she said that the run probably made the injury worse. I want you to know that." 

"Shit. Face, I'm sorry." 

Face winced, and his hand immediately went to his side. 

"Do you need Maggie?" 

Face shook his head. 

"I'm okay." 

"Listen, I'll get you some coffee, and we can talk more later. Okay?" 

Face nodded. 

"Thanks." 

Hannibal got up and made his way into the dining room. Maggie was coming out of the kitchen in her robe and slippers. 

"Good Morning." 

Hannibal scrubbed a hand over his unshaven face. 

"You look like you didn't sleep much." 

"I didn't." 

"I heard you talking to Face." 

Hannibal nodded. 

"It's going to take some time for you two to mend things. It's going to be all right." 

Maggie hugged him. He closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and took her in. He wished he didn't have to leave. He'd stay with her forever. Both of them knew that each visit would be temporary. Hopefully one day, he could come back permanently. 

"Coffee?" 

"Please." 

"I'll bring some to Face, too." 

Hannibal nodded and sat down at the table. Maggie returned with two cups of black coffee. She set one down in front of Hannibal, and disappeared into the living room to bring the second to Face. 

Hannibal reached out and took the coffee set down in front of him. It had been days since he'd had a good cup, and he closed his eyes in contentment as he took his first sip. It had been a long couple of days. He'd managed to fracture his relationship with Face, scare B.A. and lose Murdock's respect. The Captain hadn't spoken to him after they'd busted him out of jail, and Hannibal didn't blame him one bit. 

The front door opened, and Murdock stepped in, wearing running clothes. He didn't say anything to Hannibal as he pulled out a chair to remove his sneakers. 

"Murdock." 

The Captain didn't look up. 

"Can we talk?" 

" _You_ can talk, Colonel. I'm not sayin' anything." 

Hannibal suddenly found himself at a loss for words. 

"We've been friends for almost twenty years, haven't we, Murdock?" 

Murdock nodded as he took his left shoe off, and set it on the floor. Hannibal leaned his arms on the table and gripped his coffee cup. 

"When we were in 'Nam, there was a point that I thought I'd never see you alive again. That was the point of no return." 

Murdock dropped his other shoe and straightened. 

"W-what do you mean?" 

"I was alone in that dirt cell in the camp after they took you. We hadn't seen B.A. or Face for days. I assumed they were dead. When they took you, and didn't bring you back, that was it. I didn't want to survive that camp if it meant you three weren't getting out alive." 

Murdock turned in his chair and looked at Hannibal. 

"You were going to kill yourself for us?" 

"I was alone in that cell for three weeks. Every night I would sit there, looking down at my pocket knife, getting up the courage to stick it in my chest." 

Murdock took in Hannibal's confession. He hadn't expected the Colonel to share something so personal with him, and he wasn't sure how to formulate a response. 

"W-What happened?" 

Hannibal set down his coffee. 

"It was the middle of the night, I think..." 

*** 

_The pocket knife twirled easily in Hannibal's hand. He sat with his back to the dirt wall of his prison. Out of the twelve men in his cell - including his team - he was the only one left._

_It had been three weeks since he'd last seen a member of his team. They took Face first, about a month or so ago. B.A. was next. They took Murdock three weeks ago. Hannibal could still hear the Captain screaming in broken Vietnamese as they took him away. He waited for the VC to bring them back, like they'd done before._

_No one was returned to the cell._

_Hannibal twirled his pocket knife through his fingers every night. He hadn't slept more than an hour or two a night since his team was dragged off, one by one. He assumed they were all dead, and he wasn't going to leave this camp alive with that hanging over him._

_He stopped twirling the knife and flicked the switch. The blade was five inches long... just long enough to do some real damage when he stabbed himself in the chest in a few short moments. He'd been through this same ordeal every night for three weeks, but tonight, he'd decided, was the night he would die._

_Hannibal mumbled a prayer as he pushed himself weakly to his knees. He gripped the hilt of the knife in his shaky hand, and raised it in the air. This was it. He would finally have penance for the mistakes that led him here._

_A series of gunshots froze Hannibal in his position. There was a lot of shouting in Vietnamese, and more gunfire. Hannibal guessed it wasn't the Army coming to save them. As he raised his arm again, he heard a set of feet running toward his dirt prison. He decided right then that he wasn't going to let Charlie be the one to end his life. He would do that himself. He raised the knife quickly, and plunged it into his chest. As he fell onto his side, he saw the cell door open, and someone drop to his knees._

_"Hannibal! Can you hear me! Colonel!"_

_"F-Face..."_

_"Yeah, it's me... stay with me, Colonel..."_

_"You're alive..."_

_"You didn't think these bozos could kill me that easy, could you?"_

_Hannibal smiled weakly, but his features changed to concern a moment later._

_"M-Murdock, B-B.A.--"_

_"They're laying down cover fire. Come on, we need to get you out of here."_

_"L-leave me, Lieutenant."_

_"That's not happening. Let's go."_

_"I-I'm going to die. I'll h-hold you back--"_

_"I'm not going to have your death on my conscience, Colonel. You're going to live."_

_Face managed to get his C.O. into a sitting position, and put Hannibal's arm around his neck. He heaved the Colonel to his feet, and they walked out of the cell and off into the jungle as the fighting in the camp continued._

****** 

 

"I can't believe it," Murdock said, looking into Hannibal's weary eyes. 

"You, B.A. and Face... you three... you're my friends. We're all each other has right now. I've forgotten that the past couple of weeks, and I'm sorry for letting you all down." 

"You haven't let us down, Hannibal." 

Hannibal looked up to see Face standing in the doorway between the dining and living rooms, holding his coffee with two hands. 

"How long have you--" 

"Long enough to remember that night vividly." Face moved slowly into the room. "We all have a breaking point. Your trigger is when mercenaries pick off your team one by one... just like Charlie did in Vietnam." 

No one said anything for a long moment. 

"I think we all need a break," Hannibal finally said. "How about we take a couple of weeks off? I think it'll do all of us a world of good." 

"That sounds like a hell of a plan, Colonel," Murdock said, grinning. 

Hannibal grinned. 

"I love it when a plan comes together!" 

No one could resist laughing. The road to normalcy was just beginning. 

**END (epilogue forthcoming)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was going to be an epilogue, but it's really just the last chapter. I decided there wasn't a need for an epilogue here. Thanks for reading!

_one month later..._

 

Face jogged alone toward the main road in Bad Rock. Maggie had been slowly getting him accustomed to strenuous physical activity again, and today was the first time he was allowed to go for a run on his own. Town was about a mile from Maggie's house, so it was a good starter run for him, coming off of an injury. 

The Sheriff's office came into his view, and he smiled. Maggie had instructed him to stop there, rest for a few minutes, then turn around and run back to the house. He finally came to the steps of the Sheriff's office, and sat down tiredly to catch his breath. He took a long drink from the water bottle he'd brought along. 

After taking a few minutes to catch his breath, Face got to his feet and started running back the way he'd come. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"It's been nice having you here," Maggie said as she and Hannibal rocked on the front porch swing. Hannibal pulled her in closer to him, and she rested her head on his shoulder. 

"It's been a good month." 

"Are you sure you can't stay longer?" 

"I'd stay forever if I could. If we stay any longer, the Military will catch up with us for sure." 

"Well, I'm going to enjoy you while I have you," Maggie said seductively. 

"Sounds good to me." 

He leaned down and kissed her, and she snuggled up against him on the swing. Hannibal glanced up, and saw Face coming down the street. 

"Face is back." 

Maggie sat up as Face jogged up the walk and up onto the porch, and stopped by the front door. 

"How do you feel?" Maggie asked immediately. 

"It still hurts, but I can handle it." 

"Let's go inside and I'll take a look." 

Face nodded, and the three of them made their way into the house. Murdock was sitting at the kitchen table, playing a game of invisible cards. Face followed Maggie into her exam room, while Hannibal hung back with Murdock. 

"Are you winning?" Hannibal asked him with a smile. 

"Yep, I'm the Rummy champ of the VA," Murdock said. 

"Excellent, Captain. Where's B.A.?" 

"Out working on the van. He wanted to change her oil before we got back on the road." 

"Thanks." 

Hannibal went outside and made his way over to the garage. B.A. had the van up on makeshift risers, and he was underneath it. 

"How's she coming, B.A.?" 

B.A. did not respond to him. 

"Listen B.A., I know you're still upset with me. You have every right to be." 

B.A. slid out from under the van and got to his feet. 

"That night in the woods, you took all the morals you taught us and threw them away. You was gonna kill that man, Hannibal. That's not how we roll, and you know it. I just don't know if I can trust you as a leader anymore." 

Hannibal looked into his Sergeant's eyes. They were filled with anger and resentment. 

"I'm not gonna stand here and make excuses for my behavior. I turned my back on you guys, and I did something stupid and irresponsible." 

"You a stubborn fool, Hannibal. You always was, even in 'Nam. Faceman had to force you to get out of that VC camp with us." 

"You remember that." 

"Yeah. I remember Faceman telling us that you wanted to die rather than get out of there without us." 

Hannibal nodded. 

"You was always a loyal friend to me, Hannibal, and that's why I'm not walkin' away from the team. You and me personally, we ain't gonna be okay for a long time." 

"I deserve that." 

B.A. held out a greasy hand to Hannibal. They shook hands amicably. 

"Now get outta here. I gotta finish the lube job on the van, and I don't need any more distractions." 

"Okay, B.A. Come inside in about an hour for lunch." 

B.A. lay back down and slid under the van again. 

"Will do." 

Hannibal turned and walked back into the house. Face and Maggie were coming out of the exam room as he came back inside. 

"What's the verdict, Maggie?" 

"He's healing up nicely. The run today didn't make anything worse, and his pain is finally below a 5. I'd say he's good to go." 

Face nodded and looked away. 

"What's wrong, Face?" Hannibal asked. 

"Nothing." 

"That usually means you have something on your mind." Hannibal said. 

"I'll be in my office," Maggie interjected, and left them alone. 

"What's on your mind?" Hannibal asked. "And don't say 'nothing' because I know you're lying." 

"I owe you an apology." 

"What for?" 

"When you first brought me here, I was angry. I lashed out at you in the van." 

"You had every right to do that." 

"No, I didn't. I should have told you right away about what happened. Instead, I let it bottle up inside, and let it all out on you when you were only trying to help." 

"Sit down." 

Face moved to the table and pulled out a chair. Hannibal pulled another chair around and sat across from him. 

"Do you know why I push you harder than everyone else?" 

Face shrugged. 

"Being someone else is a part of who you are, Face. I've watched you run a con, and you are so convincing, that I think sometimes you convince yourself that you're someone else. The reason I ride you harder than B.A. and Murdock is to keep you grounded in reality." 

"Keep _me_ grounded in reality? I thought Murdock was the insane one." 

"Murdock knows when to stow it and get down to business. Do you remember the time you set up that fake movie premiere, and it made the papers?" 

"You can't use that example--" 

"Stow it, Lieutenant, I'm not through. That con job made the papers, and Decker was about to get the jump on you in front of over 100 people. If I hadn't seen that and come down there, he would have hauled you off to jail and we wouldn't have been able to get you out. Do you realize that?" 

"Yeah, but--"

"When I found you in that theater, it took me 10 minutes to snap you back into reality. You were so into that con job that you didn't even see Decker in the crowd. I had to bring you back and point him out to you. Face, the reason I ride your ass is to keep you more alert to what's around you. Do you understand?" 

"Yeah, I understand."

Hannibal saw the sullen look on his Lieutenant's face, and sighed. 

"Hey, both of us made mistakes that week, Face. I went Commando on you and everyone else, abandoned you when you needed my help and support, and dragged B.A. and Murdock into a half-assed plan that could have gotten all of us indicted for attempted murder, on top of the Military charges hanging over our heads. Apologizing to all of you is not going to make that go away." 

"I guess you could say the plan _didn't_ come together on this one," Face said with a grin. Hannibal laughed. 

"No, it didn't, did it?" 

A scream from outside drew their attention to the door. Murdock burst through it and dashed for Hannibal. 

"Tell him to leave me alone, Hannibal!" 

"You crazy fool, I told you not to touch my tools!" 

"I told you, it was Billy!" 

"That stupid invisible dog didn't take no hammer! You did! Give it back or I'll hammer your head!" 

"Murdock..." Hannibal interjected. 

"I only borrowed it for a second, Big Guy... I'll go get it for you." 

"It better not be broken, or I'm gonna break your head!" 

"Calm down, B.A.," Hannibal said. "Did you finish the lube job on the van?" 

"Yeah, only now I need to fix the brakes. She should be good as new by tonight." 

"Why don't you go work on it, and I'll get your hammer from Murdock." 

"Okay, Hannibal." 

Face grinned as B.A. went back outside. 

"I think everything's back to normal, wouldn't you say?" 

Hannibal grinned and took a cigar out of his shirt pocket. 

"Absolutely." 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

_the next morning..._

"How long are they going to take in there with Face's exam?" Murdock whined as he climbed into the back of the van. 

"Shut up fool, and take this bag," B.A. said, throwing a duffel bag at Murdock. 

Up on the porch, the screen door opened, and Face, Hannibal and Maggie came outside. Face turned to Maggie. 

"Thanks for everything. I don't know what I'd have done without you." 

"Anytime, _Jim,_ " she said with a wink. 

Face smiled and kissed her on the cheek. He jogged down the steps and toward the van, where Murdock and B.A. were loading their things into the back. 

Hannibal turned and took Maggie's hands. 

"You always know how to knock sense into this stubborn skull of mine. I don't know what I'd do without you." 

"You'd probably be in jail," she said, smiling. 

Hannibal leaned down and kissed her. She melted into it, and he pulled her into his arms, to deepen the kiss. 

"I wish you could stay." 

"You know why I can't." 

"Colonel! Let's go!" Face shouted from the van. 

Hannibal smiled. 

"For once, my team is shouting at _me_ to hurry up." 

He kissed her again and slowly walked down the porch steps. 

"Hannibal!" Maggie shouted. 

He stopped and turned immediately. She walked down the steps and took off the cross around her neck. She put it in Hannibal's hand, and closed his fingers around it. 

"Whenever you're being stubborn and pigheaded, use that as a reminder of what I said the night we broke you out of jail." 

Hannibal kissed her. 

"Thanks, Maggie." 

"Hannibal! We have to go! Decker knows where we are!" 

Hannibal squeezed her hand and ran down the walk, and hopped into the front seat of the van. As they pulled away, something occurred to him, and he turned in his seat. 

"Hey Face, why did she call you Jim?" 

**END (for real this time!)**


End file.
